2024-03-26 Student Government Association Senate Meeting Minutes

March 26, 2024
2:18 pm, Forum 3-130, Downtown Campus Room 200B, Zoom

In Attendance

Student Senators

  • Senator Mohamed Souhail
  • Senator Ashley Wrobeh
  • Senator Loritea Ellis
  • Senator Liam Krieger
  • Senator Tehya Deisenroth
  • Senator Ky’Johnna Jamison

Election Coordinator

  • Naz Barmak

President

  • Joseph Leichtner

Vice President of Governance

  • Angelo Romero

Vice President of Downtown

  • Mandie McGinnis

Treasurer

  • Zeynep Guney

Chief of Staff

  • Ivy Zin

Secretary of Governance

  • Alicia Crimmins

Student Trustee

  • Ana Santos

Office of Student Life

  • Advisor: Jodi Oriel
  • Faculty Advisor: Mark Sample

Visitors

  • Ginny Geer-Mentry – MCC Association
  • Dana Williams – MCC Student
  • Christina Lee – Global Union
  • Ryan Messenger – Academic & Student Affairs
  • Shawn Sanchez – Veterans Club
  • Dax Parasnis-Samar – Libraries/IDEA Council
  • Chloe Allen – Office of Student Life & Leadership Development

Minutes

Call to Order (2:18 pm)

  1. Roll Call (see attendance above)
    Vice President of Downtown McGinnis called for a roll call to start the senate meeting.
  2. Land Acknowledgement
  3. Approval of Minutes
    1. Vice President of Downtown McGinnis called for a motion to approve the March 19, 2024 Student Government Association minutes.
    2. Senator Souhail so moved, seconded by Senator Wrobeh
    3. A vote was taken.
    4. Be it resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association approves the March 19, 2024 minutes as written.

Speak to the Senate

  1. Christina Lee and Dax Parasnis-Samar gave a PowerPoint presentation discussing the DEI plan. Some SGA and audience members asked questions and they provided answers. Lee and Parasnis-Samar took suggestions to start focus-groups to collect more data and start more in-person events to raise awareness and possibly hand out physical surveys rather than online ones. They also took the considerations as follows; Health and Wellness Senator Wrobeh mentioned the need for more tangible disability accommodations around campus such as updated/better automatic doors, wider and/or lighter doors, more accessible bathroom stalls, etc. Student Trustee Santos and Elections Coordinator Barmak voiced for more accommodations/opportunities for international students such as an international student networking and support system as well as better transfer systems/programs. Lastly, Shawn Sanchez, an audience member, expressed the need for mental health awareness/support specifically for veterans.

Reports

  1. President Leichtner

    President Leichtner has no reports for this week

  2. Vice President Romero

    Hello all, Vice President of Governance Romero is in NYC for Model UN with Treasurer Guney, Chief of Staff Zin, Club & Orgs Senator Deisenroth, and President Leichtner. He asks to wish them luck, and he can’t wait to come back. For his report, the Vice President of Governance gave his monthly report to the Faculty Senate, discussing all that SGA had done. Vice President of Governance Romero also attended the Turkish Club’s Iftar event on March 21st, 2024.

  3. Vice President of Downtown McGinnis

    Good afternoon, on March 20th Vice President McGinnis held an election workshop on the Downtown campus, preparing candidates with the needed information to run for an SGA (Student Government Association) position. Good luck to all the candidates running. Meeting on March 21st with Vice President Romero in preparation to run today’s Senate. He shared a wealth of information for me to be best prepared, thank you Vice President Romero. Ending the week with running the SGA pre-agenda meeting on March 29th. Reminder the last SGA election workshop will be April 9th, check the student tribune for full details in the coming week.

  4. Treasurer Guney

    Treasurer Guney has no reports this week.

  5. Secretary of Governance Crimmins

    Hello, this past week, Secretary of Governance Crimmins has been working on her elections packet in which she is running for Vice President of Governance, and she attended the Iftar event on Thursday, March 21st. Thank you.

  6. Chief of Staff Zin

    Chief of Staff Zin has no reports this week.

  7. Health & Wellness Senator Wrobeh

    Hello everyone, this past week Senator Wrobeh represented Student Life and Leadership at the Wellness Fair on Wednesday March 20th. Senator Wrobeh made a poster about Happiness Hormones. It was a great event and Senator Wrobeh learned about the many wellness resources here in Rochester. At the Downtown Campus Wellness Fair, Vice President of Downtown McGinnis represented Senator Wrobeh by tabling with said poster. Senator Wrobeh has also been collecting signatures on her petition to run for Health and Wellness Senator and is preparing for the upcoming elections.

  8. Election Coordinator Barmak

    On this Tuesday, Naz reflects on two memorable iftar dinners she attended the past week, each offering unique insights into different cultural practices and fostering community connections. The Turkish Club’s iftar dinner left a lasting impression with its vibrant decorations and warm hospitality, providing a wonderful opportunity to immerse oneself in Turkish culture. Naz was particularly fascinated to learn about the traditions observed during Ramadan, including the predawn meal of suhoor, where participants are awakened by drum playing, a practice she found both intriguing and symbolic. The event served as a gateway to understanding the rich tapestry of Turkish customs and rituals associated with the holy month. Similarly, the MSA event proved to be a gathering of diverse perspectives and shared experiences. It was heartening to witness MSA board members from colleges such as RIT, Saint John Fisher, and the University of Rochester come together alongside professors and a multitude of students from MCC. Among the highlights of the evening were the words of wisdom imparted by Professor Irshad, whose insights resonated deeply with attendees, inspiring a sense of unity and purpose across diverse communities. These iftar dinners not only provided nourishment for the body but also nourished the soul, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and understanding that Naz found profoundly enriching.

  9. Athletic Senator Souhail

    Last week, Athletic Relations Senator Souhail represented the Student Government by tabling on Monday 18th and Wednesday 20th to promote upcoming elections. Additionally, he attended the Iftar events organized by the Turkish Club on Thursday 21st and the Muslim Student Association on Friday 22nd. These experiences were truly enriching, as they brought together students from diverse backgrounds and helped foster a sense of inclusivity and active participation in the campus’ community.

  10. Virtual Campus Senator Ellis

    On March 20,2024 Virtual Senator Ellis Attended Elections Workshop with Vice President McGinnis. There Senator Ellis learned more about the rules, expectations, and things she would need to run for the desired position in the SGA. The workshop was highly informative and helped a lot with some things that needed further clarification. Senator Ellis is excited about this new experience and wishes all the best luck to her fellow peers during this time as well.

  11. Veterans Senator Krieger
    Veterans Senator Krieger has no report for this week.
  12. Clubs and Organizations Senator Deisenroth
    Clubs and Organizations Senator Deisenroth has no reports this week.
  13. Public Relations Senator Jamison
    Public Relations Senator Jamison has no reports this week.

New Business

  1. Action Items (requires a senate vote)
    1. Resolution for the Funding Request of $2000 for Phi Theta Kappa.

      Resolved, the Monroe Community College Student Government Association approved the funding request of $2000 to PTK to help cover the remaining cost of their international PTK Catalyst conference.
      Vice President of Downtown McGinnis called for a motion to approve the resolution.
      Senator Souhail so moved, second by Senator Wrobeh.
      Discussion: PTK completed and met the standards and the requirements of the Student Government Association and Office of Student Life and Leadership.
      A vote was taken. The resolution passed.
      Be it resolved, the senate present and voting that the Student Government Association allocate $2000 from their Contingency Account to PTK at Monroe Community College.

Discussion Items

  1. There were no discussion items.

Old Business

  1. There was no old business.

Questions and Comments

  1. There were no questions or comments.

Adjournment

  1. Vice President of Downtown McGinnis called for a motion for adjournment.

    Senator Souhail so moved, second by Senator Ellis
  2. Meeting was adjourned at 3:05 pm.

Executive Session

Respectfully submitted,
Alicia Crimmins
Secretary of Governance